Weimar And Nazi Germany

Weimer and Nazi Germany

Weimar republic 1918-1929:

-         Germany were embarrassed by the treaty of Versailles

-         First 4 years of the Weimar republic there were 3 serious attempts to overthrow the government

-         1923 there was a hyperinflation that left German currency worthless

-         Between 1924 and 1929 they did better. By the late 1920s Weimar republic was a key member of the league of nations

-         Government was still quite unstable but this wasn’t much of a problem

Hitler’s rise to power 1919-1933:

-         Nazi party founded in 1920 with Hitler as its leader.

-         During hyperinflation Hitler tried to seize Munich putsch. He was jailed shortly and after promised to win power through elections

-         Nazi party membership grew but didn’t have many seats by 1928

-         1929 the Wall Street crash brought worldwide depression. Loans given to Germany were recalled and the economy collapsed

-         Unemployment rocketed, poverty soared and Germans were desperate

-         This led to events that ended with the destruction of German democracy:

-         With the government unable to win a majority in the Reichstag, laws could only be passed by presidential decree. As a result, not enough action was taken to tackle the economic and social consequences of the Depression and Germans increasingly began to look to the political extremes for answers.

-         The Nazis benefitted from this the most, as a combination of policies with widespread appeal, a charismatic leader in Hitler and the violence of the SA helped make them the largest party in the Reichstag by the middle of 1932.

-         In January 1933, Hitler was appointed Chancellor by President Hindenburg.

Nazi Control and Dictatorship 1933-1939:

-         Hitler forced the passing of the enabling act through Reichstag which gave him unlimited power for  4 years

-         By the time president Hindenburg died in august 1934 Hitler was able to declare himself fuhrer and had absolute power

The police state:

-         Hitler used three weapons to control the German people:

-         The Schutzstaffel (**). This organisation was responsible for ensuring the population remained under control and any potential threats to the Nazis were dealt with. It oversaw the Gestapo (secret police), which spied on ordinary Germans, and it ran concentration camps where enemies of the state were sent.

-         Control of the legal system. All judges had to swear an oath of loyalty to the Führer and all lawyers had to join the Nazi Lawyers’ Association. It was made harder to defend people placed on trial for suspected crimes and the death penalty was used much more widely than before.

-         Propaganda and censorship. Joseph Goebbels ran the Ministry of Propaganda, whose job it was to convince the German people to embrace Nazi rule. This was achieved through control of the press, radio and the arts, and through rallies and sporting events.

-         The police state and laws protected…